Covey Signs With Rise Records

Folk rock artist Tom Freeman aka Covey has joined the Rise Records (The Acacia Strain, Mayday Parade, Spiritbox) family.

The UK born multi-instrumentalist now based out of Brooklyn revealed the news yesterday with the announcement that his “Tour To Nobody” sessions would be released through the label as an album. “Tour To Nobody” was a 12-day tour that had Freeman performing outside of “quirky tourist destinations” and posting the footage to TikTok. The album comes out October 30 and features new live recordings of songs from his 2019 album Some Cats Live, Some Cats Die..

Listen to the first song from the sessions, “Jupiter”, below.

Taken from his Facebook page, “Combining often unusual, yet emotionally resonant lyrics, distinctly raw vocals and an indie-pop sensibility, Covey is the creation of British multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Tom Freeman. Upon relocating to the US and landing in Boston for school in 2010, Covey was eventually conceived and managed to connect to listeners through Freeman’s own brand of folk-rock which drew inspiration from artists like Neutral Milk Hotel, The Smiths and Nick Drake.”

Covey has done shows with Augustana, Briston Maroney, Jacksonville Kid, Surf Rock Is Dead, and Weather.

Mundy’s Bay’s “Control Room” Feels Like A Blast From The Past

Later this year, Montreal indie group Mundy’s Bay will drop their debut album on Pure Noise Records (Drug Church, Less Than Jake, Sharptooth). While we wait, let’s look back at their latest EP Control Room, which dropped two months ago.

Control Room feels like a long lost 80’s album that was finally found. The three song EP takes elements found in artists of the time like Blondie, My Bloody Valentine, and The Cure while also inspired by modern acts like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Cigarettes After Sex, and Title Fight. What makes this entirely shocking is that Mundy’s Bay have a colored history in — of all things — hardcore music.

From what they learned in that scene, the band, consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Esther Mulders, guitarists John Donnelly and Victor Beaudoin, bassist Willy Love, and drummer Yann Therrian, have kept their DIY style and used that for their performances.

The EP begins with the chilly yet haunting “Moonlight”, a track that paints a picture of something that feels close but sadly isn’t. Mulders’ lyrics sound like poetry while Therrian’s drumming acts like a restless heart. She softly sings, “Moonlight / Shimmers bright / This night everything’s all right / In a while take it slow / Show me everything you’re gonna know.”

“What Would It Take To Make This Real” is like the successor to “Moonlight”, acting like the sun that brightens up the dark night. The song has happy summer vibes that reminisce of The Smiths and Tennis. On it, Mulders sings, “Picture me in a pink dress staring at an exit sign / I could see the light in your eyes, the good in your smile / Picture me on a summer day, with you in the breeze and you’re beside me / What would it take to make you mine?” It’s just the right track to put you in the mood after feeling sad.

Control Room closes with “Tell Me Now”, an 80’s song that bounces between sadness and happiness. It’s the perfect track that balances the moods we feel on the EP. Simply stunning, that’s all.

Overall, Control Room is a gem that everyone needs to listen to. It’s one of the most underrated shoegazing releases of the decade. Do not sleep on this band.